Stories, Precious Stories
by A Hero's Madness
Summary: Shinji Ikari is but a simple person, like the rest of us which means that he's just as unique and complex. Here you'll find him in an altogether introspective but interesting situation. You'll assist me in driving how this unfolds, right?


It's been a while ladies and gentlemen. This is a relatively interesting circumstance our protagonist Shinji is in, and if you'd like, you can help him choose his fate. I'm not in any case making profit from this story, nor am I in any way in shape or form the owner of Evangelion or any other affiliated series.

Stories, Precious Stories

Chapter 1

A good story is never forced, never squeezed, and above all... Never where you're expecting it. My blood ran cold realizing my story may never get told, that my tales would never reach the ears of those I cherished. I lay here broken, in the middle of nowhere. I lay here dying, alone but with myself. I lay here, hardly able to see but for the first time I understand. I'm Shinji Ikari, and you may have heard of me.

I was out on a hike in the nearby forested area of Tokyo-3, I needed to get away. Asuka was railing me to get her some ice cream, and Misato was bugging me that I should just "give her something to shut up about." Which in all cases considering Misato, and how attractive Asuka is... We'll just think about something else.

In any case, I was hiking through the forest near Tokyo-3. I said I had to go shopping for groceries and neither of them wanted to come, thankfully. Maybe they could tell I was more on edge than usual. Maybe they could feel that I needed some time alone. Whatever it was, at this moment I wished they had said something. A see you later, maybe. Not silence. Never silence. Even now, I have my mothers SDAT singing away into my ears. Chopin's Nocturne number 20 burns into my ear, C sharp minor, how fitting.

I was tired of being so... Useless. I wanted something more, and this is where I have brought myself. I could call someone, on my phone. It's in my pocket with almost full battery and service. I can feel the warmth from the battery. Anyway, I came out to the forest, to do manly things. Like those shows always depict men doing. Hunting animals, running through the woods, smoking cigarettes. Manly things. Things I didn't really do.

For weeks, Asuka was getting on my case, about everything. Shinji, why don't you go outside? Shinji, why aren't you stronger than me? Shinji, why are you sitting alone in your room? Shinji, Shinji, Shinji! The kid wouldn't shut up. She thought she was an adult, glowing and the object of femininity. She didn't consider how her action affected those around her, she's no better than anyone else our age. I knew that I was... down, so I made sure that no one else would have to suffer through it by being burdened with me near them.

It didn't work. Toji and Kensuke invited me to the arcade. Misato tried to take me to the gun range. Kaji even went so far as wanting to have lunch with me. Rei invited me out after school to some place I can't even remember. Everyone tried, except for Asuka. It's not their faults, that I only wanted what I couldn't get. That's life, that's being human.

I was spending a lot of time in my room, but that's besides the point. My cello was there, my bed, and my SDAT. That was the place as close to comfort as I could get, to be quite honest. It was all downhill when she tossed the cello out the window. I mean, that is when it really struck me. Not literally of course, but I understood now. I wasn't allowed good things, because as soon as I truly enjoyed them, they were shattered out in the open for everyone in the damned world to see. Just how I felt, splintered. Fraying at the edges.

Did I ever really care, about... anyone? It's only been about survival, this whole time, hasn't it? I've deluded myself into thinking I could escape life by these things. My music, the games, the cooking, the pretending. Did I really care that Toji was annoyed with Kensuke? Did I honestly mind if the teacher kept droning on? I can't really give an answer to these things. I can't really feel that part of me, right now.

I was okay at running. I wouldn't call it a skill, but I could move. I wasn't a sprinter or anything, but I only really got winded after four miles, and I'm fairly sure that's just in my head. So, I made it six miles mostly uphill. I was tired. I was always tired though, so this was no different. Rocks, dirt, and the trees were really quite good obstacles. Weaving through these, I was so happy. I felt so alive.

It was really my fault. I enjoyed myself here, doing these things. This forest was freedom from everything, I even managed to lose Section-2. I forgot to mention, life brings an abrupt halt to fun whenever it possibly can. Sometimes literally. Usually literally.

Enough of the build up, no more point in it. I'm impaled on a tree. Falling off a cliff is a bit of a bitch, being caught by a tree via my stomach was even worse. If I twist my head, I can see about... eight feet or so of tree behind me, stained red. This needle of a tree has so far stopped pulling me down, thankfully with a limb I'm... clinging to. The pain is honestly not quite as bad as some of the Evangelion battles, but... this is really happening to me.

Do I call?

I'm accepting votes on what you, the readers want. Will Shinji call? Please submit your vote via review and/or personal message. Please attach a reason with your vote, I would appreciate it. It's a bit short I understand, but it's my first real writing in a few years.


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